Brunssum, the Netherlands – On 18th January, military planning experts from Brunssum and other NATO entities attended or dialled in to JFC Brunssum as part of an intense planning process for a major NATO Command Post Exercise.
By training regularly and continuously updating our plans, NATO is able to remain ready at all times to Deter and Defend on Alliance territory
Exercise STEADFAST JUPITER 23 will take place in October, and is the final validation of the various Command and Control elements who will take command of the high-readiness troops of the NATO Response Force (NRF) in 2024.
The exercise will be one of the largest Command Post Exercises in NATO history, involving NATO headquarters and units from the Strategic to the Tactical level. Participants will fight a simulated war over a 10-day period. Using high tech computer simulations and networked communications, commanders and their teams will stay connected during the exercise to command virtual troops in a realistic scenario. Meanwhile, teams of ‘Exercise Controllers’ (EXCON) will provide injects into the scenario, from intelligence to simulated TV news reports.
The ‘Academics’ phase of the planning cycle is a very important moment, as exercise participants learn about the scenario and the background information needed to immerse themselves in the campaign.
The Academics phase was followed by a day of ‘Key Leader Training’ (KLT), in which senior officers received a bespoke training package to equip them with the knowledge needed to lead their forces in the most effective way possible during the exercise period.
These activities are only a small part of the overall effort that goes into planning NATO exercises. Speaking during the exercise, Commander JFCBS General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta said, “By training regularly and continuously updating our plans, NATO is able to remain ready at all times to Deter and Defend on Alliance territory.”
